LA VERNE, CA — The University of La Verne baseball team opened up SCIAC play against Whittier with a 12-9 victory. Clutch pitching as well as three RBIs from Isaiah Figueroa propelled the Leopards to the win.

Preseason All-American Ryan Vosika reached base twice, going 2-4 with an RBI and two walks to help set the tone at the top of the order. Figueroa delivered a team high in RBIs, finishing 2-3 with a double.

Freshman Lucas Zayac turned in a perfect performance at the plate, going 3-3 and scoring a run, while Jacob Castro added a two hit day with two runs scored and an RBI to keep the pressure on throughout the game. Christian Takahashi continued the offensive surge, going 2-3 with two RBIs. As a team, La Verne combined for 13 hits, 12 runs and nine runs batted in.

Justin Ries got the start, going 4.1 innings and allowing four earned. The southpaw had  three shutdown innings in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, and added three punchouts to his season total. Corbin Duffield came out of the pen and slammed the door shut in the fifth to end the Poets rally.

Duffield finished his outing better than the boxscore shows, going 3.1 innings, allowing three hits, four runs, and two strikeouts. Jordan Mansfield pitched a scoreless ninth, earning the save.

The Poets got the scoring started early, plating two in the first thanks to three singles. Despite the early momentum, the Leopards failed to get complacent putting up four of their own in the second inning. After a leadoff walk, Nate Perry came around to score thanks to a Whittier throwing error. Singles from Zayac, Castro, and Vosika brought in three more to push La Verne out in front.

The third saw more of the Leos capitalizing on mistakes as Figueroa drove in Perry after he reached on a booted ground ball. Three more came around to score in the fourth courtesy of a Vosika single, a Figueroa double, and some free bases thanks to the Poets' pitching staff.

In the fifth, Whittier scored twice to cut the lead to four before La Verne answered with two in the bottom half on two hits and a sacrifice fly. Just when La Verne thought they had the game wrapped up, three runs in the seventh game gave the Poets life, bringing the score to 10-7. 

A run in the seventh and the eighth gave the Leopards some insurance heading into the ninth in a three run ball game. Coach Winterburn handed the ball to Mansfield, who shut down Whittier 1, 2, 3 with two strikeouts to earn the save.

Corbin Duffield picks up the win moving to 1-0 on the season, and Mansfield collects his first collegiate save. For the Poets, Andrew Berdelis gets credited with the loss, moving to 1-1.

Up next, the Leopards will wrap up the weekend series against the Poets in Whittier on Saturday, before starting the Arizona and Texas road trips.